In the Beat has not set a track record like Discreet Dancer, and he is not an undefeated maiden winner like the Discreet Cat and Dehere colts and A Boy Named Em. No, it was not his racing record that caught my eye but rather his pedigree. In the Beat was sired by Kentucky Derby winner and 2006’s Champion 2-Year Old Street Sense, and is out of a mare by Fusaichi Pegasus, another Kentucky Derby winner. His sire’s sire is Street Cry, winner of the Dubai World Cup in 2002. Take his pedigree just one more generation back on his dam’s side and you find Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew and influential dirt sire Mr. Prospector.

Despite his intriguing pedigree, In the Beat has so far not shown any indication of the brilliance his sire and grand-sires showed on the track. In his first two starts, he came up empty in the stretch run under jockey Frederic Lenclud. After finishing 5th and 7th in two maiden races, trainer Carl Nafzger replaced Lenclud with Calvin Borel. The new jockey proved to be just the ticket for the colt. Borel kept the colt well in hand and tucked him in along the rail to save ground. Entering the stretch drive, Borel gave the Street Sense colt his patented rail skimming ride, and the duo slipped in between foes to post a half length victory over favorite Radiant Talent.

Calvin Borel has a knack for winning the Run for the Roses using that rail skimming technique. In two consecutive years, he guided Mine That Bird (2009) and Super Saver (2010) to victory in the most prestigious race for three-year olds. Borel and In the Beat obviously clicked, connecting for the win at odds of 25.60; but, aside from their victory, Borel and In the Beat have one other very important connection: Borel piloted Street Sense, In the Beat’s sire, during his career. Borel is obviously looking for a Kentucky Derby mount, and it just might be that the son of one of his previous Derby winners can help him get to the winner’s circle again. Speaking of connections, Nafzger also trained Street Sense during his career, and both In the Beat and his sire are owned by the same connections. This combination did it before, and they may just do it again. I know it is a bit soon to be talking about the Derby when In the Beat has only a maiden win to his credit, but, hey, stranger things have happened.

Older Comments about Son of Kentucky Derby Winner May Be One to Watch...

The HRN rankings are constantly updated and can be found in several divisions on the "Top 250" menu above. They are tabulated by averaging all of the votes made by HRN readers. You can vote on horses by going to their home page and giving them the number of stars you feel they deserve.

Ashley (or anyone, for that matter)... I am new here. Can you explain how exactly the Power Rankings on the KY Derby Contender profiles mean? How are they determined? I don't need a technical explanation, just a general explanation of what they mean and how they change. Thanks!!